September 25, 2018 at 3:31PM

Day 2193 - Ãkāśa Bhairav

आकाश भैरव:

आकाश भैरवको आफ्नै कथा छ| आकाश भैरवलाइ पहिलो र पौराणिक किराति राजा यलम्बर भनेर पनि चिनिन्छ| उनको समन्ध महाभारतको एउटा महत्वपूर्ण घटनासंग पनि जोडिएकोछ| ऊनि कुरुक्षेत्रको लडाईमा हार्नेहरुको पक्ष, कौरवहरु, संग मैदानमा उत्रेका थिए| उनको यो दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण छनोटका कारण भगवान कृष्णले आक्रोशित भएर उनको टाउको काटेका थिए| त्यो आक्रोश येति भयानक थियो, उनको काटिएको टाउको उडेर काठमांडु आइपुग्यो भन्ने कथन छ| (यलम्बर र महाभारत को सम्बन्ध पनि रोचकनै छ। यलम्बर भारतको हरियाणामा भिमको नाती घटोरकोचको छोरा बार्बारिकको नामले पनि चिनिन्छ। यसको बारेमा अर्को पोस्ट्मा)

ईन्द्रजात्राको समयमा काठमांडूको ईन्द्रचोकमा टाउको काटिएका देउता, आकाश भैरव, र कैदी देउता, ईन्द्र, आमने -सामने राखिन्छ| आकाश भैरवको पौराणिक क्रियाकलाप आत्म-बलिदानबाट प्रेरित भएकोले उनलाई सम्मानित गरिन्छ| नेपालमा आकाश भैरवको पहिचान मुख्यत: नेवा:हरुसंग, आजु (सुरक्षात्मक हजुरबुवा) भनेर जोडिएको छ| यसर्थ भैरवलाई नेपालको रक्षकको रूप मा पनि लिन सकिन्छ| आकाश भैरवलाइ नेपाल भाषामा हाथु-द्यो भनेर पनि सम्बोधन गरिन्छ|

हाथु-द्योका रुपमा उनको मुखमा जडित नलिबाट आफ्ना भक्तहरुलाई उनि प्रशाद स्वोरुप पंचामृत पनि पिलाउँछ्न| आकाश भैरव गुथीका अनुसार पंचामृत बनौना जांडमा घ्यू, दूध, दही र मह मिसाउने चलन छ| यसरी पंचामृत पिलाउने प्रक्रियालाई हाथु-हायकेगु भनिन्छ| हाथु-हायकेगु भन्दा पहिले भेंडा या बाख्राको बलि दिने पनि चलन छ - धीमे बाजा को साथमा|

हाथु-द्यो (आकाश भैरव ) र येंया (ईन्द्रजात्रा) को सम्बन्ध मेरो शोधको अर्को बिषय हुने छ|

Ãkāśa Bhairav:

Ãkāśa Bhairav has his own story, in which he is identified with mythical Kirāti king Yalambar. His story intersects with one of the defining moment of Mahābhārata. He joined the Mahābhārata battle of Kurukșetra on the losing side, that of Kauravas. For that unfortunate choice he was punished by lord Krishna, who cut off his head with such a force that it flew all the way back to Kathmandu. (There is a very interesting story about Yalambar and Mahābhārata. Yalambar is also considered grandson of Bhima and son of Ghatorkocha and known as Barbarika in Hariyana India, more on this some other time.)

During IndraJatra, in Indrachwok the beheaded god faces the captive god(Indra). The beheaded one whose mythical act comes close to a self-sacrifice, is much more revered. Genealogically, Bhairav’s identity is connected to a solely Newar deity, the protective grandfather, Åju.(Belatis, 2016) Hence, Bhairav becomes also the protector of the modern nation of Nepal. And what is more, Ãkāśa Bhairav has something to give his devotees. As a Hathu-dyo, he gets set times a tube in his mouth, from which rice beer spouts for the comfort of the crowd. According to the Guthi members some ghee, milk, yoghurt, and honey are mixed in the beer to turn into paňcāmŗta, the mixture of five holy ingredients. Ãkāśa Bhairav is also referred as Hathu-dyo.

The Hathu Hayekegu (the spouting of rice beer) is at certain times preceded by a sheep or goat sacrifice in front of platform and is accompanied by the Jyapu’s dhime music and the distribution of Samay baji. A mixture of Beaten rice, roast meat, soybeans and ginger. Which is customarily taken (with alcohol) after the sacrifice or the worship of a deity.

The relation between Hathu-dyo (Ãkāśa Bhairav ) and Yenyaa (Indra jatra) is my next subject of research.

September 21, 2018 at 3:32PM

Day 2189: Finding Laakhe in London/ London मा लाखे भेटिँदा/लन्दनने लाखे नापलाना

येंया या भिन्तुना

इन्द्रजात्राको शुभकामना

यति राम्रो फोटो खिचिदिने रूपक(Rupak) भाईलाई धेरै धेरै धन्यबाद!

September 15, 2018 at 3:32PM

Ojesh Singh updated his cover photo.

September 14, 2018 at 3:33PM

Day 2182: Totem Pole

We visited Virginia Waters this summer with family and friends. Pointing at the long pole erected at the middle of the park I said, ‘Look, there is a British Yosin(योसिं) – a long pole that is erected in Kathmandu as the indication of start of YenYaa (येँयाः). But Oneek outsmarted me (yet again), saying, ‘No daddy, that is Totem Pole.’ And damn, he was correct again and he wouldn’t tell me what they are and how he found out about them.

So, to show him I know better, I had to do a little research and following is what I find.

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Totem Poles:

Totem poles are the poles erected by several Native American cultures along the Pacific northwest coast of North America. They are monumental sculptures carved from great trees, typically Western Redcedar.

Totem poles may recount familiar legends, clan lineages, or notable events. Some poles are erected to celebrate cultural beliefs, but others are intended mostly as artistic presentations. Certain types of totem pole are part of mortuary structures, and there are types to illustrate stories, to commemorate historic persons, to represent shamanic powers, and to provide objects of public ridicule.

The beginning of these poles is not known but the historians indicate they may have been available since 18th century. According to him, this was mainly created by Haida people of the Queen Charlotte Islands and then spread to the Tsimshian and Tlingit and then to tribes of British Columbia and northern Washington.

There was a dramatic decline in construction of these poles at the end of the nineteenth century due to American and Canadian urges towards Euro-American enculturation and assimilation. But in the mid-twentieth century a renewal and extension of this moribund artistic tradition took place, led by the combination of cultural, linguistic, and artistic revival activities.

According to Mike Pitts, there are 16 Totem Poles in the UK, traditionally carved in cedar. The six older examples, including two in the British Museum’s Great Court, were probably made between the 1850s and 1870s. They were taken by collectors and dealers from abandoned villages or disintegrating communities in the earlier years of European settlement. The other ten were carved in the second half of the last century: the first was a gift from Canada to the Queen in 1958 and stands in Windsor Great Park.

And, this one in Virginia Water Lake was erected here in 1958, to mark the centenary of the establishment of British Columbia as a Crown Colony.

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I think, this much is enough, for now, to show Oneek off, that now I know more than he knows about Totem poles (I hope, anyway). Phew!

#DeterminedDad

September 11, 2018 at 3:33PM

Day 2179: Thamel

A beautiful book by Rabi Thapa.

'The population of Kathmandu municipality alone rose from under 150,000 in 1952/54 to 1.74 million in 2011(out of national population of 26.5 million). In the Kathmandu valley, the proportion of cultivated land went down from 66 percent in 1976 to 15 percent in 2009, while the built-up(urban) area went from under 14 percent to 69 percent in the same period (Malla 2015).' - Thamel, Rabi Thapa (2016)

September 3, 2018 at 3:34PM

Ojesh Singh updated his profile picture.

September 2, 2018 at 3:34PM

Day 2170: नेपथ्य - 25th Anniversary

I listened to, sang and played their songs when I was growing up - their songs always makes me feel younger.

Nepathya- 2018

O2 Academy, Brixton

London

September 1, 2018 at 3:35PM

Day 2169: Isle of Wight

Sun, sea, sand and summer holidays.